by Ruby Loren
“Great, maybe he can go and share his experience with someone who wants it. When I signed my first contract, I accepted that I would personally be promoting the books and sharing insights into my life as a zookeeper. Nothing was said about prying into my personal life, and it’s going to stay that way.”
Across the room Auryn raised his eyebrows over his coffee cup. He looked amused but gave me a thumbs up.
I hoped I wasn’t coming across as too demanding, but this was the third time Trudy and I had been around what was essentially the same conversation.
“You need a publicist,” Trudy said, bluntly.
“I’m willing to work with one. Just so long as it’s not Colin and they don’t turn up while I am on holiday.” I bit those last few words out.
“I’ll have a word and ask him to tone things down a little,” Trudy said in this offhand way that made me sure she would do no such thing. “Anyway, from what I’ve been seeing, things have been going brilliantly! You’re in the news and book sales are up.”
“There’s been a murder!” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I took a calming breath and then decided to lay it all out. “I chose your publishing house because I thought you were people who saw eye to eye with me. I’m willing to accept that you didn’t realise what Colin was like when you employed him, if you stop him from working with me right now. If not, I’ll be thinking again about our contract.”
“We are here to help your career. You should think about that when you come to me with things like this. Anyway, deals aren’t that easy to get out of,” Trudy informed me.
I frowned. I couldn’t believe I was thinking it, but I missed my fake, money laundering publishers.
“You can try me if you like, but I wouldn’t recommend it,” I warned. From Trudy’s lack of response she wasn’t used to dealing with a reluctant celebrity who wouldn’t be too saddened if her comic returned to just being a hobby. I hung up whilst I still had the last word.
Auryn handed me a cup of caffeine. “Probably should have given you that before you called them. The diva has awoken!”
“You think it was too much?”
“No. If anything, it was under-kill. I’d have at the least threatened to feed Colin to the sharks if they don’t fire him…”
I nodded. “He’d probably agree to jumping in with Blanca, if I persuaded him it was for publicity.”
“Drink some coffee. Now isn’t the time to plot a murder,” Auryn reminded me with another eyebrow raise.
As I took a sip, I wondered who genuinely had plotted murder, and did they have anything else in store?
Auryn decided to come with me when the police called half an hour later and asked me to return to The Big Blue Marine Park for further questioning with the other documentary personnel. It turned out that the police didn’t have a big enough base to accommodate us all, so had decided to conduct the majority of the investigation at the park itself - much to Nile’s chagrin, Auryn reported when he’d popped in to check on his friend.
That was how we came to spend most of our day walking around the park itself, spending more time than any usual visitor ever would as we made great efforts to avoid anyone documentary related. The park itself was being kept open. Technically, we weren’t supposed to stray far, but I knew Katya had my number and I also believed she had my back. I’d gone in to answer questions when asked and had come out none the wiser as to how the police were getting on with their investigation. At least, they hadn’t explicitly told me anything. I’d got the impression that my two interviewers, Katya and the detective in charge of the case, were holding something back. It was only when we’d finished that I realised I didn’t want to know.
The biggest surprise of the day came when the press arrived. The police had assured everyone that no press would be permitted to interfere, but that didn’t stop them from giving it a jolly good shot. Auryn and I were together when we heard them yelling my name.
“Where’s your new lover, sweetheart? Already moved on to a younger model I see!” one odious photographer said before snapping a photo of me standing with Auryn. I thought about shouting right back at them, but to what end? Instead, Auryn and I stood a lot closer to one another, with his hand protectively looped around my shoulders. When I looked up into his eyes I was surprised to see the glint of mischief there.
“If these guys get some good photos, we can put them up around the house and it won’t have cost us anything,” he said, swooping in for a kiss.
When we disentangled amongst the noises of what felt like a hundred shutters clicking, I shook my head at him through my smile. “What about creative property?” I pointed out.
“Let’s see… they get paid for the photos and you don’t. Hey!” he raised his voice and called out to one of the more prominently positioned photographers. “Can you send me copies of the photos? I can’t believe I’m kissing a famous lady!”
“You watch your mouth,” I hissed, but inside I was laughing as the photographer eagerly handed him his card and dropped a wink so salacious it made me want to scrub myself clean.
“Madi! We’re on the front page!” a familiar voice shouted.
“This is not happening,” I muttered but Auryn’s sigh told me otherwise.
Colin was running across the square, his trousers torn from another battle with the fence, clutching a ragged copy of the paper that Ben had already shown us this morning. “You’ve already got the press here! Oh, this is fantastic. They’re eating out of the palm of your hand. Anyone for photos, interviews? I can book them all! I’m her publicist, you know.”
“No he isn’t,” I shouted, completely exasperated. It turned out to be exactly the right thing to say at exactly the right moment.
Colin was thrown off his feet when someone rugby tackled him from the side. Two other police officers ran after the one who’d made the tackle, all shouting at my ex-publicist.
“Good heavens! What’s happening?” Colin asked from his position on the floor with his hands cuffed behind his back.
“Colin Chambers, you’re being arrested under suspicion of stalking Ms Madigan Amos. We have photo evidence of you following her without her knowledge and attempting to spy through windows of her holiday rental. Thank you for reporting your suspicions, Ms Amos,” Katya said, inclining her head my way.
“Thank you for taking them seriously,” I replied, realising she was doing me a favour. All of that surveillance apparently hadn’t been for nothing! And Colin was more of a problem than I’d ever believed.
“Would you like to file a restraining order against the arrested?”
I looked down at Colin and considered what Katya had just told me. I also thought about our hijacked holiday. “Yes, yes I would.” Your move, Trudy! I thought, feeling a little bit smug.
9
Plots and Presenters
The next day, Tiff called to update me on how Lucky and my zoo was doing. Both were running like clockwork, but I could tell from Tiff’s voice that she was down in the dumps. It hurt to find out that someone you’d had feelings for had lied to you. I knew that from experience. All I could do was promise her that when we got back, we would have as many girly film nights as she needed.
I’d also reminded her that Darius was probably one of the main suspects for Leona Richards’ murder, so really, she might have dodged a bullet. I’d sensed that might not have been the right way to go about cheering her up when she’d asked what kind of guy she was going to date next? A serial killer? Unfortunately, all I’d been able to come up with in response to that was to remind her that they were really rare - so the chances had to be minimal.
When we hung up, I winced and opened up my laptop to order her some ‘you’re a great friend!’ flowers and chocolates. Hopefully she’d forgive my lack of tact this morning.
Having not heard anything more from either the police, or the documentary team (good), Auryn and I were preparing to go out for a mountain-climbing adventure day when there was a knock on the sliding
doors.
“I told you there were benefits to getting up earlier. We could have already left,” Auryn sniped.
I stuck my tongue out and went to the door.
Katya signalled for me to let her in.
“Thanks, the press are swarming over the island. This is making a lot more noise than anyone on the force expected. They’re thinking about bringing in some mainland detectives to help out with the case. I didn’t want to lead anyone here,” the fake police officer said.
I let her in and then remembered Auryn a little too late. The curious look and subsequent flash of understanding on Auryn’s face was more than enough for the secret agent to figure a few things out.
She turned to me with a look that hinted I was in big trouble.
Katya addressed Auryn, as if nothing had happened. “I’m officer Fiona Young with the Palma police. As you’re probably aware, there has been a death that is being treated as unexplained. I just need to talk to Miss Amos to establish a few of the facts relating to the case. In private.” she added when Auryn folded his arms and looked at her.
“It’s okay, Auryn,” I said, and then regretted it when Katya’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “How about we take a walk?” I was dressed for a trek anyway. I may as well get some use out of my walking outfit. Some unseen sense was telling me I wasn’t going to be climbing any mountains today, or anytime soon, the way things were going.
Katya waited until we’d rounded the peninsula and were on an undesirably rocky beach, which was absent of people. “How much does he know?” she asked but raised a hand when I tried to answer. “You know what? Let’s do the police junk first. I’m officially here to investigate claims that you were having relations with Ben Ravenwood at the time of the deceased’s death.”
“I’m happily engaged to Auryn Avery. We are on holiday together.” I shook my head, fed up with this stupid story. “I only met Ben a few days ago. It’s a story that’s been completely fabricated by the media. I’m surprised the photos the press took of me yesterday haven’t hit the news yet.”
Katya looked uncomfortable. “They have. Haven’t you seen?” When I shook my head she looked even more unhappy. “They’re trying to paint you as some kind of relationship predator - always after successful men who work with animals.”
At first, I felt hot rage rise through me, but then it faded to calm as I looked out across the smooth water. “Maybe it will ruin my comic book career.”
“You want it to?”
“Perhaps. I guess I didn’t realise how out of hand things would get.” I shrugged. I’d done all of the complaining I cared to.
Katya seemed to soften for a moment, reminding me of the woman I’d formed a strange bond with when we’d taken down a couple of murderers and fought against an organisation who held us in the palm of their hand. “Too bad, Madi, I think you’re out of luck. I swear stuff like this only makes people more successful. The journalists love it and - although they’ll claim otherwise - so do the public. We all love the sidebar of shame on the tabloid news sites. You can bet that the company have used our dirty little obsession with salacious stories about celebrities to manipulate us all as well.”
“I don’t think I want to know,” I said, feeling strangely queasy at the thought of just how many pies the secretive side of the government had their fingers in.
“Well, I’m not going to tell you… because I know what a dangerous and bad idea it is to break the law. Especially when the company are concerned.”
All of a sudden, we were back to what I had and hadn’t told Auryn.
“I didn’t break the Official Secrets Act,” I told her.
“He knew who I was.”
“Look, I knew that I was going to be sworn to secrecy by Borel and Flannigan. I’d been in a relationship where I wasn’t told anything even close to the truth, and there was no way I could do the same thing to Auryn. I told him everything I knew and suspected way before I was told the whole truth and made to sign on the dotted line. Fortunately, he believed me, and my paranoid brain turned out to be pretty close to the truth.” I held her dark gaze. “I know it’s dangerous. He knows it, too. But he’s not a fool and I’m not going to lie to him. All I said was we worked together at Mellon Zoo. He may just assume that, by some strange coincidence, you now work for the Palma police force.”
“That was still completely irresponsible!” She shook her head and looked scared for a moment before making her face blank once more. “You may think it’s all nice and great to have someone to share things with by using your cute little hints, but I’m a part of this, too. I don’t know him and it’s pretty clear he knows who I am - well, enough to be a risk. I could be in serious danger. It’s something I should be reporting.”
“If you weren’t out here spying on me, this would never have happened in the first place. I don’t want to mix Auryn in with any of this. I don’t want to be mixed up in it myself!” I bit back. “Instead of stalking me to Mallorca you should have, I don’t know, asked me if I was in cahoots with criminals?” Okay, now I said it aloud, it sounded stupid.
“Just forget it,” Katya said, looking as annoyed as I felt. “I’ll report back that you’re not doing the dirty with Ben Ravenwood, and therefore were unlikely to kill his significant other in order to gain his favour.”
“Wait, I’m really a suspect?”
She ignored me. “Just report in at the marine park as soon as possible. Until further notice, everyone is required to come in so we can coordinate our investigation. Leona Richards has never visited Mallorca before. Whoever killed her, if indeed it is murder,” she hurriedly covered, “they were almost certainly on location the day you found her.”
“You’re saying that I have to be at The Big Blue instead of doing anything remotely holiday-like, even though you know I didn’t do it?”
“We don’t know anything yet.” I thought Katya looked way too smug. She was mad at me and was now relishing ruining what remained of my holiday. “Actually, Auryn should come. He’s on the list for questioning. There are some photos of him and Leona looking friendly the night before she died.”
“I told you what happened at the restaurant!” I protested, knowing exactly what those photos had been.
“I’ve got to check all of the facts. It’s police work. See you at the park,” she said with a final victory smile, before she turned and nearly smacked me in the face with a swish of her long, dark plait.
I watched her climb up the rocks and did everything I could to refrain from pulling my hair out. “This cannot get any worse,” I muttered and then regretted it. It was statements like that one which tempted fate into throwing you something worse as if to say ‘Ha! You were wrong. It can get so much worse.’
“Things can always get worse,” I amended looking up at the clouds that were indeed gathering up ahead. Fate had selective hearing.
Auryn hadn’t been as bothered as I’d thought he’d be when I explained that we’d both been summoned on a fairly permanent basis to hang around the marine park. When I’d queried his sunny attitude, he’d explained that Nile had actually asked if both of us could work with him on the marine park experience. It turned out that with all the publicity surrounding the both of us, Nile had done some research into his old friend and his partner who wrote comics and had discovered how successful the independently run Avery Zoo was, and how promising the zoos I’d left behind after advising as an animal consultant were. Before I’d been able to protest, Auryn had told me that of course he’d reminded Nile that we weren’t experts in aquatic animals - with the exception of a few select species. The option had been left open, and with our new sentence, it actually hadn’t seemed like the worst idea in the world. In spite of everything we’d both said from the start of our holiday, we were about to get involved.
My first stop when we arrived at The Big Blue was to make my presence known. Katya had been in a heck of a bad mood when we’d parted ways and I wouldn’t put it past her right now to make some kind
of trouble for us if we were seen to be avoiding the police. I’d therefore agreed with Auryn I’d breeze around the documentary team before returning to find out what Nile wanted us to help him out with. Evidence suggested that the documentary team were big enough gossips that my presence would definitely be noted should any officer of the law come looking.
“How are you doing?” I asked Ben when I found him leaning up against the white wall of the shell building, staring at absolutely nothing.
“Oh, Hi Madi. I don’t know… okay, I guess. It might sound crazy, but I just wish we could get on and start work again. The worst part of this is sitting around thinking about what happened all day and wondering if I should have known something was wrong. What if things hadn’t fizzled between us? She might never have been exposed to her killer.”
“It’s always tough when you lose someone close. It’s almost hard to believe,” I said, suddenly taken back to when the zoo’s reception manager had been murdered. Months had passed and I still somehow expected to see Jenna around the zoo, or hear her spouting the latest gossip. But she wasn’t there, and somehow, it was nearly impossible to come to terms with.
“How come everything’s ground to a halt?” I asked, hoping a change of subject might help distract Ben from his musings.
“The producers are really worried about what the delays are doing to the budget.” He shot me a guilty look. They’re devastated but… this is a business”
I nodded. I understood. It was a hard line they had to walk between respectful and not failing to produce what their jobs dictated.
“All I know is that they’re looking for a presenter to take Leona’s place.” He looked shattered for a second before continuing. “I don’t know how long that’s going to take.”
“I hope things progress soon,” I said as neutrally as possible. What I really hoped was that in all of the kerfuffle my silly little interview would be completely forgotten. With a bit of luck, there also wouldn’t be time to twist The Big Blue’s animal care standards in the way many of the park’s staff were concerned about.
